By Natalie Frels
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July 30, 2025
SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Hays County Well being Division (HCHD) obtained notification on July 29, 2025, that there was a laboratory confirmed, optimistic human case of West Nile Virus. That is the primary reported human case of West Nile Virus (WNV) for the 2025 Mosquito Season in Hays County. On account of privateness and confidentiality causes, HCHD won’t disclose any details about the affected person. Whereas 80% of individuals won’t expertise signs of an an infection, solely 20% of individuals might expertise some signs. Signs of West Nile Virus an infection can embrace fever, headache, physique aches, joint ache, vomiting, diarrhea, a pores and skin rash on the torso of the physique and swollen lymph nodes. Whereas the chance for extreme signs is low, people aged 50 and older and people with compromised immune techniques could also be at an elevated danger for stiffness, disorientation, coma, tremors, imaginative and prescient loss, paralysis and, in extraordinarily uncommon circumstances, dying. Anybody experiencing these signs is inspired to hunt medical consideration. Presently, there is no such thing as a particular therapy for West Nile Virus, however over-the-counter medication may also help scale back signs and supportive care will be offered in a hospital setting to these experiencing extra extreme signs. Sufferers can count on to exhibit signs for 3 to 6 days however might expertise fatigue and weak point for weeks and even months. WNV is a illness that’s unfold by the chew of an contaminated mosquito. Mosquitoes can grow to be contaminated after they feed on the blood of contaminated birds. The contaminated mosquitoes can then transmit WNV to people and animals. Extreme WNV infections may cause neurological issues resembling encephalitis and/or meningitis. Hays County Epidemiologist Ian Harris desires to remind residents that “West Nile Virus just isn’t contagious and that people are ‘dead-end host,’ which means people usually are not able to transmitting the virus to different people.” The Division of State Well being Providers (DSHS) has not confirmed a optimistic mosquito pool in Hays County throughout the 2025 Mosquito Season. The county reported optimistic mosquito swimming pools for WNV in Hays County throughout the 2024 Mosquito Season. Within the state of Texas, DSHS reported 3,314 optimistic mosquito swimming pools in 2024 for West Nile Virus. As of July 29, 2025, DSHS has reported 272 optimistic mosquito swimming pools for West Nile Virus. The important thing to stopping West Nile Virus is to reduce the variety of mosquitoes in areas the place individuals stay, work and play. Public well being officers strongly encourage everybody to stay vigilant about defending themselves from mosquito bites and stopping mosquito breeding on their properties. Mosquitoes can breed in as little as one teaspoon of standing water. By draining all sources of standing water in and round your property, you scale back the variety of locations mosquitoes can lay their eggs and breed. HCHD reminds residents to recollect the three Ds: DEET, Gown and Drain. DEET: At any time when outdoors, use insect repellents with the energetic ingredient DEET or different EPA-registered repellents, and at all times observe label directions. DRESS: Put on lengthy, unfastened and light-colored clothes outdoors. DRAIN: Drain or deal with all standing water in and round your property or office the place mosquitoes might lay eggs. Hays County Growth Providers is offering mosquito surveillance throughout the county to watch and monitor mosquito-borne diseases. Some mosquitoes can switch probably lethal ailments – often known as arboviral ailments – to people. HCDS is gathering mosquitoes to find out which areas are harboring disease-carrying mosquitoes. HCDS will arrange assortment traps throughout the county on a rotating foundation to seize samples of a number of species of mosquitoes that will likely be despatched to the Division of State Well being Providers in Austin for identification and dedication of the sort(s) of sickness the mosquitoes might be spreading. Monitoring species, mosquito density and geographic breeding websites will present vital early predictive information to HCDS to assist monitor, forestall and fight mosquito populations and mosquito-borne diseases. HCDS makes use of the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) gravid-trapping technique to gather mosquitoes. This entice is designed to draw feminine mosquitoes that are prepared to put eggs. The entice makes use of a fan to attract in mosquitoes that strategy the liquid within the backside of the bucket and retains them in a group bag till the entice is collected. HCDS additionally makes use of the BG-Sentinel entice. This entice targets different mosquito species which can be vectors of different arboviruses. Assortment is often carried out from Might till November all through Texas. Hays County Growth Providers and the Hays County Well being Division will proceed to conduct mosquito pool traps and well being surveillance to advertise the well being and security of our residents. For extra info relating to mosquito abatement, contact Hays County Growth Providers at 512-393-2150. Resident can view Mosquito Monitoring Areas by way of the Hays County Growth Providers GIS Dashboard at https://bit.ly/HaysCountyMosquitoTrackingLocations. Go to the Texas Division of State and Well being Providers West Nile web site for extra info on the illness at txwestnile.org. # # #